Ress
Ress is the youngest member of Earth Colony. She sees herself as a manipulative and remorseless sociopath who is fond of power-plays and schemes. The truth is a little murkier, as she sometimes performs acts that seem to run counter to her self-proclaimed lack of emotions. In any case, she is not above murder and seduction to further her aims, the primary of which appears to be taking power in her own name. Along with Nerrine, who she hates, Ress is one of the core viewpoint characters of the series. She is closest to her sister, Kellin, with whom she has an incestuous romantic relationship. She is easily their best shot with a beam pistol. Character History The Genetics War Ress was born in the midst of the Genetics War, in the relative safety of the White City. As a young girl, Ress strangled both of her Mothers to death. Her sister Kellin took care of her, and did her best to shield Ress from the grim realities of the war. Kellin also hid her own involvement with the creation of the terrible iron oxide bomb. After the Genetics War, Kellin's involvement with the bomb program made her a liability, and so she was sent to Earth, taking Ress with her. Along with Petara, Kellin alone knew that this was no paradise planet, but the death-world to which the White City had earlier sentenced the Heretics of Cydonia-- another secret she is eager to keep from Ress. Before they left, Ress was "seduced" by Kellin-- in truth, Ress was the one in control. Earth Colony After waiting twelve hours for Garaka's group to return, it was Ress who suggested that some of those left behind venture out on their own. It was that group-- Ress, Jarissy, Kellin, and the twins Chell and Soola-- that was the first to encounter the old rex. Chell was killed by the old rex, and Ress "accidentally" killed Soola out of spite for her "uselessness". (Eyes in the Dark) When Nerrine proved to be the only one to return from Garaka's group, and was prepared to be killed for cowardice, Ress argued for Nerrine's life. (The Stain On Her House) Her motives for that seemed obscure at the time, but became more apparent as she pushed Nerrine into assuming the mantle of Imperatrix so that she might pull the strings. (Imperatrix Rex) To manufacture a crisis so as to test Nerrine's fitness, Ress convinced Jarissy to make independent scouting expeditions against Nerrine's direct orders. But unintentionally, Jarissy was poisoned. Nerrine, seeing through Ress, chose her to be part of an expedition to find an antidote. Nerrine warned Ress that if she ever put one of them in danger again, the consequences would be severe. (Puppets and Poison) When Jarissy was killed by the old rex, Ress went to Nerrine and broke down into tears, which she claimed to be genuine. In anger, Nerrine savagely beat the girl, and then raped her. (Let the Dawn Decide) To Bell The Cat In the weeks following the assault, Ress became increasingly withdrawn, and prone to sudden fits of crying. The other Daughters, not knowing what Nerrine had done, assumed Ress was anxious about her coming Teneve. (Tharsus and Deimos) The reader learns that during one of Jarissy's solo excursions, she discovered another (earlier) Martian ship, revealing its location only to Ress. Ress found it increasingly difficult to keep Jarissy from telling the others, and so laced the warrior's blood bottle with the poison that had afflicted her previously. This poison slowed Jarissy's reflexes, weakened her heart, and induced massive hemorrhaging upon injury. It was in this state that Jarissy had her fatal confrontation with the old rex. (Teneve) Ress "finds" the old ship, following signs left by Jarissy, and brings back a stockpile of Martian weapons and supplies as her Teneve token. (Teneve) Ress enters into an incestuous relationship with her sister, planning on installing Kellin as a more pliable Imperatrix after removing Nerrine. To this end, she manipulates Nerrine into going out alone to "bell" the rex with a tracking device Kellin has devised, assuming that Nerrine would be killed. (The Thief and His Harem) However, there is something wrong with the tracker. Ress accompanies Fenn as the both of them seek Nerrine and the tracker. (Leviathan) They find Nerrine, gravely-injured and defenseless, about to be eaten by the old rex. Fenn is carried off by the thief. Ress has the opportunity to let Nerrine die, but for reasons obscure even to herself, she does not do so. She risks her own life to operate the gene-locked atomizer, destroying the rex's tail. She is knocked unconscious. (Rex on the Beach) Ress, Fenn, and Nerrine are seen safely home by the Twain. (Walking Wounded)